Simple Syrup for Fruit

All the summer fruits are coming to the farmers’ market in Southern California now – two weeks ago the kids begged for “anything but citrus, NO MORE ORANGES!” and now we’re happily gorging on strawberries, melons, peaches, nectarines, cherries…. I try to buy for the week, carefully choosing some peaches that must be eaten TODAY, [...]

I’m inspired…

I’ve been thinking a lot about how moving from SoCal to Michigan is going to change our cooking and eating habits, and all I can think is, the change is going to be HUGE. In Torrance, I shop once a week at the farmers’ market, which takes place right next door and is full of amazing [...]

Menu: Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! If you’re tired of the traditional burgers and dogs, here’s a barbecue menu with a Chinese flair. All of these dishes can be substantially prepared in advance, leaving you to enjoy some time relaxing and eating!
the recipes:

cantonese barbecue sauce + your favorite protein: ribs, pork tenderloin, chicken, tofu, tempeh…
sweet & sour cucumbers
pickled [...]

Sweet & Sour Cucumbers

Just about any kind of cucumber will work for this recipe – I prefer the small Persian or Japanese ones, since they don’t have such large seeds and their skin is thin. English cucumbers are great, but who needs all that plastic packaging? If you use a conventional cucumber, you can scoop out the seeds [...]

“Shake the hand that feeds you”

Today’s LA Times has a photo slideshow celebrating the farmers’ markets of the area. Hm. I was a bit puzzled as to why the first 20 photos (of 28!) pictured the prepared foods (or, as the Torrance market calls it, the “non-agricultural products”) section or local restaurant gardens. Okay, I was happy to see our [...]

Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding

Disclaimer – this is in no way a Chinese recipe, but I put it together this weekend, inspired by a Food & Wine recipe from Pok Pok in Thailand, and it was so good I had to share! And it works wonderfully at the end of a Chinese meal. And it’s very simple. And it [...]

Menu: Spring Stirfry Supper

Amaranth is back at the farmers’ market – certainly a sign of spring when the leafy greens start reappearing! And “Colleen the Tomato Lady” is back up to her elbows in gorgeous beefsteak tomatoes. I added those ingredients to the fact that I’m starting to clean out my pantry in preparation for our move and [...]

Braised Mushrooms

This is originally a Japanese recipe – I’ve replaced the mirin and sake with Shaoxing cooking wine and reduced the amount of sugar. Like all braises, this one starts with a quick saute/stirfry, then adds liquid to simmer. Unlike many Chinese braises, however, it takes a while. The mushrooms can be served hot, warm, or [...]

SOLE Food and Pollan, Practiced

With the economic slide continuing, it was interesting to see a piece on Salon.com entitled “Can we afford to eat ethically?” in which Siobahn Phillips writes:
Last month, a report from England found sales of some organic food had fallen up to 31 percent. Ethical food advocates have been worrying about a similar trend in this country [...]

Savory Pancakes

This dish makes a great appetizer – you can serve it with soy sauce or a 1:1 mixture of soy sauce and hoisin or oyster sauce. I use shrimp in this basic recipe, but it’s a great way to use up tiny bits of leftovers: chicken, pork, bacon, beef, vegetables. Whatever addition you choose to [...]